Acoustic insulation



FebfZ, 1929. 1,703,558

R. e. surTl-:R

Accmss'rIQ-r; INSULATION Filed vec. 12, 1925 l INVENTOR 7 M@ I L', l

ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 26, 1929.

UNITED STATES I 1,703,558 PATENT OFFICE.

nosnn. B. suman, or NEWARK, Naw JERSEY.

AcoUs'rIc INSULATION.

Apulia-mon ma December 12,1925. seriall No. 75,000.

My invention relates to an acoustical or sound deadening insulation particularly adapted for use on Walls, floors, partitions, and the like, wherever it is desirable or necesary to reduce the transmission of sound and eat..

There are now on the market several good sound deadening and heat insulating mate-V rials among which may be mentioned hair.Y felt and cork, the latter principally in the form of manufactured cork board. While these materials have been used to a large eX- tent, there have been certain difficulties and objections connected with their use, and it has been usual heretofore in treating Walls, floors, and the like, to lessen the transmission of sound, to place the acoustical material on the inside, that is between the Walls and beneath the' fioors, etc., so that the acoustical insulation is usually a separate entity and not of it- `self a structural material.

It is the general object ofmy invention to provide an improved, practical, serviceable andelic-ient sound and heat insulation constructionfor use on or as walls, partitions, floors and the like. p

Among other and more specific objects are:

To. provide an insulation construction of the character indicated which may be effectively used on or as floors, partitions, and the like, as a structuralV building material which will sustain relatively great loads without injury or damage to the insulation, and without serious impairment of insulating efficiency;

To provide an insulation construction in which hair felt is employed and so arranged as to beheld in place and so as to avoid undue compacting of the same;

To provide an improved method of forming an eiiicient acoustic structural insulation. of the character indicated.

Brieiiy stated, in the preferred form of the invent-ion I employ two panels preferably of -relatively rigid material which may be, and

preferably are, both of such material as to 'y materially lessen the `transmission, of sound and heat. Between these panels 'is 'held an intermediate or middle layerof eicient sound deadening and heat insulating material. Spacing supports 'are provided and preferably extend from one outside panel to the other panel and' may pass through suitable openings in the intermediate layer of acoustical material. The-outer la ers may or may not be of the same material, Aut I prefer to form them of material including parof lire resistant character. On this layer of material before it sets, I superpose a layer of acoustical or sound deadening material, such as hair felt, which has previously been prepared by forming openings therethrough. On top of the hair felt or other acoustical material, IInext place a layer of material which may be the same as the first layer laid Y down, but I prefer to employ for at least one of the outer layers, a composition of granulated cork the particles of which are held together by .a suitable cement of the character above indicated. Some of the material of one or the other or both of the outside layers will pass through the openings in the intermediate layer and when set will form rigid spacers or supports. Before the material sets, a pressing operation may be performed on the three layer construction so as to compact the outer layers somewhat, and so as to assure the rigid and complete formation of the spacers or supports previously mentioned. This pressxre, if a pressing operation is performed, should not be so great, however, as to unduly compact the hair felt so as to materially impair its insulating eiciency. Wplen the material forming the outer la ers4 as set, 'the insulation unit formed of t e three layers al1 held together vin proper spaced relation, is removed from the mold'and after drying or other treatment is read/v for use.

tig In the drawin s whichjshow, for illustra.- 1ve purp'fes invention-- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of the face of a 4construction embodying the invention;

on y, preferred forms of the tion shown in Fig. 1; Y

Fig. 3 is a rear or bottom planv view of the construction shown in Fig. 1;

render the panel fire and moisture resistant.

'Fig'. 2 isa sectional v1ew of the construc- 6 indicates a rear panel which is preferablyV 'formed of particles of cork held together by l n constructing my insulation l may torni a mixture of Wood shavings cr the like anda suitable cement Which Will later set or harden. This material may be placed in a mold so as to form the panel ot the requisite thickness. The layer 7 oi hair elt or other acoustical material is then placed on the layer '5 before the latter has set. The layer 6, preferably -formed of cork particles and a cement materiahis then placed on top ot the layer Y and some of the cementcoated cork particles or some ci the mixture, or some of the material ci the layer or some ot the material of both layers, will pass into or through the openings 9 in the layer 7 and since the layers 5 6 have not'yet set nor taken'permanent term, the spacing supports yor projections 8 thus formed will be inte grally united to hoth the layers 5 and 6. The layer 6 may be smoothed oil somewhat to give a slab of fairly uniform. thickness, and the.

compact the intermediate layer 7, for undue' compression of this librous layer would materially impair its eiiiciency in retarding the transmission of sound and heat. 'After the Y material forming the layer 5-6 and the spac-` ing supports has set, the entire unit may he removed from the mold and dried, or given any further treatment desired..

lt will be found that the layers ^5-6 are definitelyV held in predetermined spaced re' lation and the intermediate layer 7 will likewise' be held in position on both the layers 5 6 by means of the spacing supports 8. The librous layer 7 may adhere somewhat to the material of the panels 5-6 so as to `further assure the positioning of theliair felt. The material tormingthe layers` V5---6 may be fire and Water resistant as formedv be given iffound necessary or desirable.

Y be placed at any Obviously the spacingsupports'S-S may racticable distance apartV so that the spans hetween these supports or dowels are relatively short and great loads tion eventhough the panels be made relatively thin. 'l f It will he found that the ma rialof the 4 4other characteristics desired for any par-l may therefore be sustained by my construc e incassa character indicated may be so formed that it may be Worked like Wood, and therefore that blocks of insulation formed ot this niaterial may be nailed in place on Walls, floors or the like. However; l prefer to leave the layer 6 `relatively rough, as indicated, so that .a good bond may be obtained with a'oundation ot concrete, cement, plaster or Whatever other foundation is to support the insulating blocks formed according to my plan.

The panel 5 may, and preferably will, bei made quite smooth and Will have the appearance oi' stone. lt is therefore desirable that the panel V5 be on the exposed side oi the Wall, loor, or the like and when so exposed so is of pleasing appearance. While the face oi the panel 5 it desired may be made perfectly smooth, it is desirable to form, on such v surface, slight depressions or pockmarks lO-lO for, by so doing, the surface is somewhat broken and the depressions act somewhat like aural `cavities to catch the sound Waves reaching the surface. l/Vhile some oi the sound is absorbed in the tace layer 5, much ot the sound is transmitted therethrough and is absorbed in the next layers T and 6. The project-ions 8 may serve to transmit some sound from the panel 5 and into the intermediate panel 'i' Where most ci the sound Waves are dissipated.

ln Fig. L l is indicated a slightly modified term of construction |in which the outer lay ers ill-12 may bot-h be formed ci cork or other relatively coarse material and both the L,outer surfaces lett rough so as to provide many crevicesor irregularities such as are preferably present in the face of the panel 6, previously described. The panels lle-l2 may be definitely .held in predetermined spaced relation by the spacing supports shown, substantially the saine as in the previous form. The particular use indicated for that form of the invention illustrated in Fi l is for partition walls wherein the material may be self supporting, that is need not be supported on any previously formed Wall. The rough or creviced surface Oilers an admirable base for tlie application or plaster or the like which will adhere to tha projectionsbetween crevices'vvith great te- 115 nacity. The material illustrated in Fig. 4L may also be used forriloors and set in a concrete or other foundation, anda plaster or, stone-like surface of any desired characterr applied While the material is in place.

Obviously, in my insulation construction the thickness of the panels, and the intermediete layers '7, aswell as `the size and spacing of the'spacing supports' or dowels, will be such as to provide the requisite strength and '125 'inbefore, is preferablymade in the form of blocks or slabs of convenient size for handling, and. in the form of ornamental designs, columns, cornice moldings, etc., and may be set or applied in'much the same manner as stone, tile, or the like.

While I consider the constructions as descriged to be practical and eicient, I do not Wish to be limited to the materials indicated therein, nor to the method of making. Other sound deadening or heat .insulating material may be substituted for the hair felt 7; likewise other material may be employed in either or both ot' the layers 5-6 and. the spacers 8 need not necessarily be, though they preferably are, integral with and of the same material` as at least one of the panels. There are several cements or bindersfwhich might be used with the Wood partlcles, cork, or other material of the panels, and', by Way of ex-f ample, I may mention Sorels cement made by mixing magnesia and a. solution ot magnesium chloride. For most purposes I prefer to use little more cement than is required to superficially coat the base particles and cause them to adhere together in a relatively rifgid mass. It may also be possible that one the panels 5-6 could be omitted and the hair felt laid directly upon a base or foundation in which case the spacing supports 8 would su port the single panel and prevent the main Ibody of the felt from becoming unduly compacted. This slight moditication will be obvious Without further illustration. The panel 6, for example, could be considered a base or foundation upon which the hair felt is laid, and the facing panel 5 is supported in spaced relation tothe base panel 6.

A construction of the character herein disclosed is an excellent sound and heat insulation. The blocks or boards are rigid and may be readily handled and applied Without the usual difficulties encountered in applying other sound deadening insulations with which I am familiar.

The spacing supports for holding the outer panels in predetermined spaced relation I consider of great importance in that the tinished blocks are relatively rigid and soft fibrous material may be employed 'between the outer panels, without danger of unduly'.

compacting the soft material, and yet the complete block will bevstrong enough to withstand the strains put upon building material of this character.

While the invention has been ydescribed in great detail and one preferred method of making it described, I do not Wish to be limited Ato the forms, materials, or method herein disclosed exceptas may be required by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an insulation construction, a panel formed of particles of-wood and a binder including mineral matter, a second panel formed of particles of cork and a binder in cluding mmeral matter, spacing supports formed integrally with said tivo panels for holding the same in spaced relation,.and a layer of hair felt between said panels, said hair felt having openings therein for the passageof said spacing supports.

2. In an insulation body, a layer of relatively soft insulatingmaterial, a panel of relatively rigid material on each side of said insulating material, and spaced apart spacing supports between said panels for holding the latter in predetermined spaced relation, at least one of said panels being formed of relatively coarse particles and cement, the outer surface being rough to form a good bond with soft material, said insulating material being exposed at the edges of said body.

3. In the combination defined in claim 2, said spacing supports being formed of the same material as at least one of saidA panels and integrally united to both panels.

4.-. An insulating building block including relatively rigid outer panels, an intermediate layer of soft, fibrous, sound deadening material, said intermediate layer being of substantiallv the same size as said outer panels, and rigi spacing supports extending through said intermediate layer and rigidly united to said outer panels.

5. An insulating building block including relatively rigid outer panels including granulated vegetable matter and lire resistant cement, an intermediate layer of soft, brous. sound deadening material, and rigid spacing supports extending through said intermediate layer and rigidly secured to said outer panels, said supports including granulated vegetable matter and fire resistant cement.

6. An insulating building block including relatively rigid outer panels, an intermediate layer of soft, fibrous, sound deadening material, rigid spacing supports between said outer panels and extendingthrough said intermediate `llayer, at least one of said outer panels including granulated cork held in rigid panel form with fire resistant cement.

RosER B. sU'r'rER. 

